Governing mechanism for centrifugal air-compressors.



' R. H. RICE. GOVERNING MECHANISM FOR OIINTRIFUGAL AIB GOMPRESSORS.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.2, 1911. V

1,661,689. I Patented May 13, .1913.

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u 2|- 4 29 22 l K 22 z l2 l6 7 l7 I I 36 8 "l8 if?! 0 O 9 Inventor;

Richard H. Rice,

R. H. RICE.

GOVERNING MECHANISM FOR CBNTBIPUGAL AIB OOMPBESSOBS.

APPLICATION I'ILED 00T.8, 1011. 1,061,689. Patented May 13, 1913.

3 BHEETFBHEBT 2.

: Inventor;

Richard +1. Rice,

Mnesses o ttfg.

R. H. RICE.

GOVERNING MECHANISM FOR GENTRIFUGAL AIR COMPRESSORS.

' APPLICATION FILED 001 .2, 1911.

1,061,689. Patented May 13,1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Inventor, -*Richar-cl H. Rice,

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J "UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

, RICHARD RICE, or LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, assrenon To COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Application filed October 2,

To all whom it may concern. a

K The present invention relates to governwith the work tobe performed.

through the compressor. The parts areso will decrease thefspeed 0f the compressor furnace? thegoverning' mechanism andrheostat, Fig.

citizen offlthe United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex, State of Mas-.

- air compressors and has for its object to pro- -motorlf "As shown the motor isof the three the air pressure. The efl'ectbf these various Be it known that I, RICHARD H. Rica, a

sachusetts', have invented certain new and useful Improvements "in Governing Mechanisms" 'f0r Centrifugal Air-Compressors, of which the following is a specification.

ing me'cha'nismifor motor driven centrifugal vide' a'mechanism which is effective in operation' a'ndis as -simple' as possible cons1stent In carrying out my invention a centrifual air compressor of suitable construction is providedwhlch is driven by an electric phase inductionp'type. Between the source of electric currentsupply and the motor is located a variable resister, preferably a water rheostat. 'The moving part of the rheostatisfacthated by a small pneumatic motor-that receives its supply of air from the saidcompressor. Y The pneumatic motor is controlled by a pilot valve and the latter is actuated by a float whose position changes with variation in the volume of air flowing organized and arranged that as the flow of air through thecompressor to the blast furnace o'r'other consumptive device decreases, thefloa't will ove 'in a direction to cause ance in circuit with the electric driving the motorand compressor increase in speed until the pressure of the air discharged by the compressor is increased. to the proper value. When theresist-ance to the flow-of air-through the blast furnace decreases the float will belifted by the increased volume (if air; and the parts controlled by said float and its driving motor, thereby decreasing operations is to maintain a"constant rate of flow of air through the compressor and blast lntheaceompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation ofthe compressor with Specification of Letters Patent.

GOVERNING- mnonmsm ron CENTRIFUGAL ara-comrnnssons.

1911. Serial No. 652,284.

2 is a plan view of the same, Fig. 3 a ver' GENERAL EnncTaIc I,

Patented M f13, 191 3.

tical section taken through the intake of the compressor and through the water rheostat,"

the parts being shown on a larger scale than 1n Flgs. 1 and 2, Fig. 4 -is a diagram offtheelectric connections, and Fig. 5 is a persp'ective view of the operating parts. a I

The com ressor has a casing 1 containing a suitable lmp'eller which is not shown but. a which is driven by an electric motor2 which is preferably of the induction type. wThe intake of the compressor is shown at 3.and\

the delivery pipe ate. -Located inytheintake is a float 5 consistihgpreferably, 0153- disk whose diameter bears acertainrelation to that of the intake. The float is mounted,

upon a spindle 6 which is suitably guided in bearings 7 and 8, so as to be capableof-longitudinal movement in the intake 3- The .upper end of the spindle 6 is pivotally connected to a floating lever 9 which is. fulcrumed in the upper end of a piston rod 10 1 attached to a movable abutment. such asthe piston 11 operating in acylinder 12 and con-" stitutin'g a motor for varying thewdistance between the movable electrodesin the water rheostat hereinafter described. -Theo'pp0-J site end of the lever 9 is connected by a rod 13 to themovable portionof a dash-pot l tv and this end of the lever also is provided with an adjustable weight or counterrbals.

ance l5. Attached to the piston rod--10 at:

the point where the lever 9 is fulcrumed to it is a cross-head 16,. which carriestwo levers 17 each provided with an adjustable couns ter-weight 18. Said levers are fulcrumed on] a cross-bar 19 supported in abracket 20 which is preferably attached .to the walls of the water rheostat. Fulcrumed onsthe same cross-bar 19 are two lever arms 21 which have short ends carrying lugs .22 that lie;

underneath the levers 17. 1 The opposite ends,

of said lever arms 21 arehooked in order to engage wlth a cross-bar from: which. the

movable electrodeor electrodesjof the water rheostat can be suspended.. I prefer to. use three such electrodes 23 mounted at the lower ends of rods 24 depending from the cross-bar 25 with which the levers 21 engage. The stationary electrodes 26 are located at the bottom of the water rheostat in line with the movable'electrodes 23. The lower portion of the vessel or receptacle 27 constituting the water rheostat is inclosed in a protecting jacket 28 which is provided with perforations to permit of a'free circulation of air for the purpose of cooling this portion of 'the rheostat. The upper portion of the receptacle 27 is preferably somewhat larger than the lower portion in order to enable it to receive a coil-of pipe 29 through which a coolingmedium can be circulated in order to carry oi the heat arising from the passage of the current between the electrodes 23 and 26. The minimum distance between the electrodes can be adjusted in any suitable manner, preferably by means of a U shaped stop member 30 projecting from a nut 31 which meshes with an upright screw '32 journaled in hearings in a frame 33 secured to the receptacle 27 This. screw is rotated by a hand-wheel 34 which is preferably connected therewith by ,bevel gearing 35.

A small pipe 36 conveys air pressure from the delivery pipe 1 of the air compressor to a valve chest 37, in which is located a small pi lot'valve 38, controlling admission and ex-.

haust portswhich lead to the cylinder 12. The stem 39 of said valve is pivoted to the lever 9. c

The operation of the device is as follows :--Assuming the compressor to be operating and driven by the induction motor 2, it now a choking condition occurs in the blast furnace it will lessen the volume of air passing through the compressor. Consequently the float 5 which is responsive to changes in volume will drop, say to the position indicated by the dotted knee in Fig.

The downward movementbf the spine '6 depresses the lever 9 to the position shown in dotted lines thereby pushing down the stem 'of the pilot valve 38 and admitting compressed air through the pipe 36 to the lower part of the cylinder 12. The pis+ ton 11 is forced upward carrying with it the cross-head 16 and the levers 17 to the osition shown in dotted-lines in Fig; 3. ncidentally this lifts the Stem of the pilot valve until the valve is restored to its midposition' thereby retaining the piston in its elevated position. The lifting of the levers 17 releases the -two lever-arms 21, and the weight ofthe electrodes 23 and their rods 24 causes said lever-arms to fall to the dotted line position thereby allowing the movable electrodes to approach the lower stationary electrodes. This action reduces the resistance of the rotor circuit of the motor 2 in which circuit the water rheostat is included, thereby causing said motor to speed up and drive the air compressor at a higher velocity. The increased pressure of the air current and its greater volume per unit of time compensates for the obstruction to the flow and maintains the output of the blast furnace.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together .with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means. What I claim as new and esire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,

1. The combination with an air compressor, of a motor for driving it, a regulator for the motor having a movable member, a float arranged in the stream of air passing through the compressor, a floating lever, a rod connecting'the float to the lever, a fluid motor having a movable member, a pilot valve for the fluid mo?! having a stem connected to the floatingever, a connection between the movable member of the fluid motor and the floating lever, lever means for controllin the movable member of the regulator and comprising lever arms connected to said movable member, other lever arm's pivoted on the same axis-as the first .arms but movable independently thereof in one direction,--a connection between said means and the floating lever, ing the movement of the movable member of the regulator in -one direction.

2. The combination with an air compressor, of a motor for driving it, a regulator for the motor having a movable member, a float located in the stream of air passing through the compressor, a floating lever, a rod connecting the float to the lever, a fluid motor having a movable member, a pilot valve for the-fluid motor having a stem connected to the floating lever, a connection between the movable member of the fluid motor and the floating lever, a crosshead connected to the floating lever adjacent to the last connection, levers pivoted adjacent to the ,cross-head and connected thereto, other levers pivoted on the same axis as the first levers and connected thereto, said sets of levers being movable independently of each other to a limited extent, and means connecting the last named levers to the movable member of the regulator.

3. The combination with an air compressor, of a motor for driving it, a regulator for the motor having a movable member, a float in the intake of the compressor, a floating lever, a rod that extends through the wall of the intake and connects the float to the leverintermediate its ends, an adjustable counterweight on one end of the lever, a dash-pot connected to said end of and means for limitconnected to the cross-head, and other lependently of the second under other condivers pivoted on the same axis as the first tlons. 10 levers and extending away from the float- In witness whereof, I have hereunto set ing lever, there being lugs on the last named my hand this 25th da of September 1911.

levers that engage the arms of the first le- RI HARD H. RICE.

vers to cause said sets of levers to move to- Witnesses:

gather under certain conditions and also to JOHN A. MCMAN s, Jr.,

permit movement of the first levers inde- FRANK G. HA'rrIn. 

